The present invention relates to methods, apparatus, and a system for egg shell membrane separation and a purified form of egg shell membranes produced by the separation method. The present invention addresses a number of different problems, some of which may seem unrelated without having the benefit of this disclosure. The problems include, but are not limited to, the costs associated with landfill disposal of egg shell membranes, the need for elemental calcium for various uses, and the need for the constituent components found in egg shell membranes. Some of these problems are discussed in U.S. Pub No. 2003/0209617A1 to MacNeil, U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,203B1 to Thoroski, U.S. Pub No. 2004/0166213A1 to Thoroski, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,454B1 to Abdul Malak et al, all of which are incorporated by reference herein, each in its entirety.
In the U.S., there has been increased consumption of eggs during the 1990s. In 1997, over 5,000 tons of egg shell membranes have been available on the U.S. market. A related problem to the processing necessary to support this magnitude of egg processing is the cost for landfill disposal of egg shell membranes. This waste material created additional problems as it is further observed that this type of hatchery waste material is considered to be odiferous.
Egg shell powder is used in the food industry, including animal and human nutritional supplements. Egg shells provide approximately 36-37 percent elemental calcium in addition to traces of phosphorous and other trace elements. In addition to potential uses of the egg shell, the egg shell membrane is known for being rich in a number of different materials, including, without limitation collagen, hyaluronic acid, lysine, histidine, arginine, threonine, glutamic acid, proline, glysine, cysteine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan. Some of these materials are well known as high value materials, yet due to various problems, these materials go to waste. Despite the general recognition of the tremendous potential value of egg shell membranes when its constituents are extracted, little has been done to realize this value. Thus hatchery waste continues to include unseparated egg shells which is still being sent to land fills. There are numerous problems that prevent the use of egg shell membranes. Including problems which prevent hatcheries or egg breaking facilities from separating egg shell membranes in a useable form. There are specific problems in the context commercial context which provide additional challenges not present in a laboratory environment.
One problem relates to the need for a production process for egg shell membrane separation which is continuous. In the hatchery environment or egg breaking facility environment, waste is being continuously produced, and therefore it would be highly desirable for egg shell membranes to be separated from egg shells continuously as well. To not do so, would create significant problems in that either the hatchery or egg breaking operations would be slowed, not all waste would be processed, waste would need to be processed when other hatchery operations were offline, or similar problems which would be unacceptable in the such environments.
Therefore it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to reduce waste used in egg processing.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to produce egg shell powder from what would otherwise be egg processing waste material.
Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to produce high value products such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, or other types of polypeptides from what would otherwise be egg processing waste material.
A still further object of the present invention is to produce new revenue streams for hatcheries and egg producers.
Yet a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a method for separating egg shell membranes from egg shells.
A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a method that reduces pathogens and contaminants in egg shell membranes.
A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for continuous processing of egg shells.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for automated processing of egg shells.
Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for methods, apparatus, and systems for processing egg shells that are scaleable.
A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for methods, apparatus, and systems for processing egg shells that are cost effective.
A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for methods, apparatus, and systems for processing egg shells that does not damage collagen, hyaluronic acid or other materials to be extracted from egg shell membranes.
A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for a method of processing egg shells which allows extraction processes to be performed on egg shell membranes at locations remote from egg hatcheries or egg breaking facilities.
One or more of these and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow.